FORESTRY IX HUNGARY. 



11 



in the State forests alone, by fires, wind, insects, and the like causes, 

 was as follows : 



No. of 

 instances. 



Fires, 



76 



Broad-leaved forest, 

 Coniferous forest, . 



Inundations, .19 ..... 



Wind, . . 51 (800,000 cubic feet of wood). 



Frost and snow, 7 (88,000 „ ), 



Rats, . . 12 



Insects, . .17 



Areas affected, 

 Acres. 



1693 



34 



1727 



99 



396 



956 



405 



3415 



6998 



In 1867 there were only 1390 miles of railway in the kingdom, 

 now there is a network aggregating 5530 miles all over the country ; 

 and no less than 18 per cent, of the merchandise carried by goods 

 train, and by the Danube Steam Navigation Company, consists of 

 forest produce. Twenty miles of narrow-gauge railway have been 

 constructed for forest purposes. There are also 



4,460 miles of State roads. 

 23,005 ,, Departmental roads. 

 35,983 ,, Communal roads. 



1,799 ,, rivers and canals which can be used for floating wood. 



The State roads are kept in good order, but those belonging to 

 communes are not so. In addition to the above, the State has 148 

 miles of dry slides, and 65 miles of wet slides, with 93 reservoirs, 

 constructed for floating purposes, holding 175,000,000 cubic feet 

 of water. There are also 62 booms, aggregating 8040 yards in 

 length. 



The floating of timber from the mountain forests to the plains, 

 and thence to the markets, is still largely practised, especially in 

 the Carpathians, where, notwithstanding the huge quantity of 

 timber, principally beech, consumed annually in the maintenance 

 of river banks, the erection of weirs, and other works, it is con- 

 sidered cheaper than the construction and repair of cart-roads, 

 which, as they are not required for other purposes, would have to 

 be paid for entirely from the forest budget. The rates for transport 

 by water are also, beyond comparison, lower than those for transport 

 by road ; and the latter would be enhanced if the large amount of 

 wood now water borne were to be thrown on to the roads. 



These considerations appear to justify the existing arrangements, 



